Angled Spoke Rotor Hub for Rotary Wing Aircraft Weight Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current rotor hub designs for rotary wing aircraft are heavy due to the use of high-strength, lightweight metals, necessitating a reduction in material weight without compromising structural integrity.
Innovation Solution
A rotor hub design featuring a cylindrical body with radial spokes and arcuate segments that are angled to optimize weight reduction while maintaining strength, utilizing topological optimization to distribute loads efficiently, and incorporating a yoke assembly for rotor blade connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If high strength metals or alloys (titanium or aluminum) are used for the rotor hub, then structural integrity and strength are maintained, but the weight of the aircraft increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor hub is divided into multiple discrete components including a central body, multiple radial spokes, and arcuate segments. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for strength-to-weight ratio, reducing overall hub weight while maintaining structural integrity through the distributed architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor hub employs composite construction combining multiple materials with different properties. The central body, spokes, and arcuate segments may use different material compositions optimized for their specific functional requirements, achieving overall weight reduction while maintaining necessary strength characteristics.
2Weight of moving object
If material weight is reduced in the rotor hub, then aircraft weight decreases, but structural strength and load-bearing capacity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the rotor hub are designed with locally optimized properties. The central body, spokes, and arcuate segments have varying thicknesses, material compositions, and geometric characteristics tailored to their specific stress conditions, achieving weight reduction without compromising overall load-bearing capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor hub incorporates curved and arcuate geometric features rather than purely straight lines. The arcuate segments connecting the spokes follow curved paths, and the central body has rounded contours. These curved geometries distribute stresses more effectively and reduce stress concentration points, maintaining strength while reducing material requirements.
3Quantity of substance
If the rotor hub design is optimized for weight reduction, then material usage decreases, but manufacturing complexity may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hub is segmented into modular components (central body, spokes, arcuate segments) that can be manufactured separately and assembled. This modular approach manages design complexity by breaking down the overall complex structure into simpler, more manufacturable individual parts with standardized interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functional elements are merged into integrated components. The arcuate segments simultaneously serve as structural connectors between spokes and as mounting features for rotor blades. The central body integrates the drive shaft interface, bearing mounts, and spoke attachments, reducing the total number of discrete parts while maintaining functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A rotor hub configured to support and rotate a plurality of rotor blades about an axis of rotation is includes a cylindrical body having a central shaft hole including the axis of rotation. The shaft hole has a radius extending from the axis of rotation radially. A plurality of radial spokes extends from the cylindrical body in a spoke direction. A plurality of arcuate segments extends between the distal ends of adjacent spokes to define a plurality of hub apertures. The spoke direction extends at an angle to the radial direction in both the horizontal plane, and a vertical plane, perpendicular to the horizontal plane. A line defined by the spoke direction does not intersect the axis of rotation. The spoke direction extends at an angle in the horizontal plane in a direction opposite to a direction of rotation of the rotor hub about the axis of rotation.